1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gravity-fed spray guns and more particularly to an apparatus for providing enhanced spray capabilities for such gravity-fed spray guns.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spray guns are commonly used to apply paint, primer or any other liquid substance to a surface. The most common handicap a painter encounters, regardless of whether he is using a gravity or suction spray gun is the inability to go low enough to paint upward. For example, in the auto body industry, the rocker panel (below the door line) is seldom painted on the lower surfaces. The reason for this deficiency is that the car is too low to the ground and the spray gun assembly is too long to provide for proper access. A gravity-fed spray gun, excluding regulator and hose connection is generally 11 to 13 inches long. A suction spray gun is generally 13 inches long excluding regulator and hose connection. The spray gun cannot be tilted sideways without the possibility of spilling paint from the cup or having the smooth flow of paint to the gun being interrupted.
Similar problems exist in the paint industry, generally. For example, in spraying overhead, the painter cannot always conveniently tilt the spray at the proper angle for proper application of the paint, or other surface treatments.
As one solution to these problems, the present applicant has invented an improved spray gun, disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,360 entitled "Apparatus for Providing Enhanced Spray Gun Capabilities for a Gravity-Fed Spray Gun." That invention utilizes a swivel joint assembly that provides rotation of the fluid cup along a fluid cup offset axis, which is perpendicular to the fluid cup axis. After rotation of the fluid cup relative to the spray gun body the nozzle has to be rotated to obtain the previous spray pattern.